WEST HARTFORD, Conn. (WFSB) – Firefighters are warning parents about viral TikTok trends that are sending children to the hospital.
Recent viral videos show teenagers putting alcohol in their mouths and blowing it at a flame to look like they are breathing fire.
West Hartford Deputy Fire Marshal Chris Wilcox said that hasn’t happened in his town, but said teens playing with fire leads to 300 deaths and $300 million in property damage each year.
“Fire trends on social media are nothing new. Everyone is looking to one up everybody before them, and that’s why they are getting more dangerous and more risky,” Wilcox said.
To prevent teens from trying the fire-breathing trend, parents should keep fire starters and flammable liquids hidden and out of reach.
Another trend involves NeeDoh stress toys. Viral videos show kids putting them in the microwave to change the texture, despite warnings on the packaging that say do not heat them up. It’s caused a string of accidents across the country.
In Chicago last month, a 9-year-old boy was severely burned when a NeeDoh exploded after warming it up. In March 2025, Consumer Reports asked the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to investigate the toy.
In a statement, NeeDoh parent company Schylling said they have alerted the CPSC of the dangerous trend. The company said they have partnered with social media companies such as TikTok to remove influential content containing NeeDoh product misuse.
David Holmes, a West Hartford firefighter and paramedic, said the consequences of partaking in trends like this can last a lifetime.
“Burns can be fatal. They can also leave permanent damage that everyone will be able to see, and not to mention emotionally they’re going to be living with their decisions that they made for their entire life,” Holmes said.
Scott Applebaum, a Wethersfield parent with two teenagers who works at a high school, said he sees viral trends firsthand. He said he trusts his kids because they have talked about social media safety.
“They understand they’re not going to eat a tide pod or they’re not going to eat laundry detergent, things like that. They understand the challenges with that stuff, and they’re not going to do things like that,” Applebaum said.
Applebaum said his kids have done things in school about social media and what to post.
“Always think about what you’re going to be posting when you hit send,” Applebaum said.
Parents and firefighters agree the safest way to take part in these trends is to not try them.
Copyright 2026 WFSB. All rights reserved.
